Machine for opening sheet-metal packs



2 1927. 1,647,061 Oct I w. J. sTooP MACHINE FOR OPENING SHEET METAL PACKS Filed Jan. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet l Inuenior:

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25 1927. Oct w. J. STOOP MACHINE FOR OPENING SHEET METAL. PACKS Filed Jan. 5, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 In ueni'or.

- Patented oa. 25. 921.

OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. s'roor, orv wnannnqe, wns'r vmcmln,

MACHINE FOB OPENING SHEET-METAL PACKS.

/ Application filed January 5, 1925. Serial No. 724.

The invention is designed to open packs of metal sheets, and one object is to provide a machine of simple and durable construction having a high efliciency in production.

In the accompanying drawin s:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectiona view of a pack opening machine.

Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Fig. 3 is a view partly in front elevation andpartly in transverse section.

Fig. 4 is a view of spirally grooved rolls.

Fig. 5 shows equalizing bars in elevation.

Fig. 6 shows said bars in end view.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of one of the equalizing bars.

In these drawings A indicates a suitable frame in which are mounted pairs of rolls 1, 2; 3, 4; 5, 6; 7, 8 and 9, 10, at one level, and with the passes between them all in the same horizontal plane. The pair of rolls 1, 2 initially receive the pac s of sheets, which are fed thereto over a table a. After passing through these rolls the pack is fed directl to the circumferentially corrugated pair 0 rolls 3, 4, which corrugate the pack in its longitudinal direction. This corrugating action of the rolls 3, 4 causes local slippage laterally of portions of each of the sheets composing the pack in relation to the sheet or sheets in contact therewith and tends to break the bond between them.

After leaving the corrugated rolls 3, 4,

4 the corrugated pack of sheets passes between the rolls 5, 6, which have plain cylindrical surfaces. The action of these rolls is to restore the corrugated sheets composing the pack to flat form and in doing this there is a further lateral slippage tendency of each sheet in relation to the adjacent sheets, thus imposing upon the sheets a further loosening force. After leaving the plain rolls 5 and 6, the pack of sheets passes through the pair of rolls 7, 8. These are corrugated circumferentially, but with their corrugations staggered in position in relation to the corrugations of the rolls 3 and 4. That is to say, the grooves of the rolls 7 and 8 are in line with the high points or ribs of the rolls 3 and 4, so that the corrugations made in the sheets by the rolls 7, 8 are reversed in respect to the corrugations made by the rolls 3, 4. After leaving these corrugated rolls 7 and 8, the pack of sheets passes through the cylindrical rolls 9 and 10, where the sheets are again. restored to flat form and are, asa consequence of this action,

caused to have lateral displacement relative to each other. The fiat sheets now pass through a pair of rolls 11 and 12, the lower one of WlllChis circumferentiallv grooved at 12 to receive the ends or projections of the curved cguide plate b, which extends upwardly an cooperates with a companion curved guide plate in directing the pack of sheets upwardly to pass through the elevated pair of rolls 13, 14. From here the pack of sheets is directed downwardly ;between guides c to rolls 15 and 16, which de: liver the pack between guides d to discharge rolls,17, 18. In passing up around the rolls 11, 13, and down around the roll 15, the pack of sheets is sharply deflected from its straight course and is subjected to a pronounced bending action, which acts to further loosen the sheets, the stress now being exerted in a direction longitudinally of the sheets and causing one to slip on the other. To accentuate this action the rolls 11, 13 and 15 are made of small diameter, so the sheets will be shar ly bent.

The smal rolls 11, 13 and 15 are backed up by discs or rollers 11, 13 15. As shown in Fig. 3, the roller or disc 13 is mounted in bearings 18, carried b a cross bar 20 adjusted by the screw 21, aving a hand operating device 23. Pins 22 guide the cross bar. These pins work through openings in a portion of the main frame'at 24, and the screw 21 is mounted to turn in the main frame. There is one of these adjusting mechanisms for each of the discs or rolls 11, 13, 15. Each of the upper rolls 2, 6, 10 and 14, that is, those which are not corrugated, have their bearings pressed upon by an equalizing bar individual thereto. One of these equalizing bars is shown at 25, Fig. 3, with its downturned ends rest ing upon the bearings 26 in which the journals of the roll turns, as for instance, as shown at 14. This equalizing bar is provided midway of its length with a recess or socket 27 in which rests a partly cylindrical shaped pivot or bearing 28 formed inte rally with a cross bar 29, through the en s of which extend the bolts 30, said bolts being screw threaded at 31 into the main frame. The ends of the cross bar are borne upon by the springs 32, which are interposed between them and the heads-of the bolts or rather the washers 33. By turning'the bolts the pressure of the springs upon the ends of the cross bar can be regulated, as desired, and

thus the pressure exerted through the pivot 27, 28 upon the equalizing bar at the center thereof can be regulated and thus the roll 14 can be set against its companion roll to get the desired degree of pressure upon the pack passing between them. This equalizmg mechamsm distributes the pressure of both of the springs to both bearings of the roll 14, and the roll can accommodate itself to variations in the thickness of the pack.

The same form of equalizing mechanism is employed above each of the rolls 2, 6, 10, the one described above being that employed at the roll 14.

A similar equalizing pressure mechanism is employed at each of the rolls 12 and 16, arranged below the same, as shown generally at 34: 1n Figs. 1 and 3.

The rolls of the second pair are slightly larger in diameterthan those of the first, and those of the third pair are slightly larger in diameter than those of the second pair, and so on, the purpose being to maintain the pack under slight tension as it passes through the rolls.

The rolls are driven through suitable gearing, as is well known in this art.

Reverting to the layout of the rolls; the pairs 1, 2; 5, 6; and 9, 10 will be flat surfaced and the pairs 3, 4 and 7, 8 will be ooved. These grooved rolls may be of a orm other than circumferentially grooved, that is to say, they may be spirally grooved, those marked 7 and 8 being of opposite hand as to the direction of the spiral from those marked 3, 4:. One such pair of rolls is shown in Fig. 4 and designated 3", 4.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine for loosening sheet metal packs, a pair of circumferentially corrugated. rolls, a second pair-of circumferentially corrugated rolls with the corrugations thereof staggered in relation to the corrugations of the pair of rolls first mentioned, and a pair of plain faced rolls intermediate the pairs of corrugated rolls adapted to flatten the metal sheets after being corrugated and to feed them to the second pair of corrugated rolls so that slippage of the sheets relative to each other will take place laterally, first in one direction and then in the other, substantially as described.

2. In combination in a machine for open- .iing packs of metal sheets, a pair of circumferentially corrugated rolls, a pair of plain faced rolls to receive the corrugated sheets and flatten them, and rolls arranged at a different level from the said plain faced rolls to receive the pack therefrom and to bend the sheets after being corrugated lengthwise and flattened to thus cause lengthwise slippage of said sheets relative to each other after having been subjected to lateralslippage by the corrugating and flattening actions. a

3. In combination in a machine for opening sheet metal packs, a plurality of pairs of rolls including corrugated rolls between the members of which pairs the sheet metal pack passes, the rolls of each pair being slightly greater indiameter than the diameter of the rolls of the precedingpair to inaintain a tension on the metal sheets, substantially as described. I a

4. In combination'in a machine for treating metal sheets, a frame, pairs of rolls between which the sheets pass, equalizing pressure means for the rolls comprising a cross bar extending across the frame having its ends arranged to exert pressure upon the bearings of one of the rolls, a second cross bar extending across the'frame, means for exerting adjustable spring pressure upon the 7 ends of the last mentioned cross bar, and a pivot connection between the cross bars intermediate of their length, substantially as described.

5. In combination in a machine for treating metal sheets, rolls between which the sheets are directed, a frame, a cross bar for pressing upon the journals of one of the rolls, a second cross bar backed by springs and adjustable pressure devices whereb 1t may be set to apply more or less yiel 'n pressure to the cross bar first mentioned, an a pivot connection between the bars at the center of the length thereof, said ivot connection comprising a partly cylin rical projection on one bar entering a similar socket on the other, substantially as described.

6, In combination in a metal sheet pack opening machine, a plurality of pairs of rolls including a pair of rolls corrugated circumferentially and with their corrugations staggered in relation to each other, plain faced rollers between the pairs of corrugated rolls, a pair of plain faced rolls in rear of the last pair of corrugated rolls, a pair ofelevated rolls composed of an upper roll of large diameter and an under roll of small diameter a pair of rolls intermediate said elevated rolls and the pair of plain faced rolls, and on a level with the latter, said intermediate rolls being composed of a lower roll of large diameter and an upper roll of smaller diameter, a second pair of rolls similar to the intermediate rolls and located at the same level therewith and in rear of the elevated rolls, substantially as described.

7 In a machine for loosenin sheet metal packs, a pair of corrugated ro Is, a second pair of corrugated rolls with the corrugations thereof differently disposed in relation to the corrugations of the pair of rolls first mentioned, and a pair of plain faced .rolls intermediate the pairs of corrugated rolls, adapted to flatten the metal sheets after being corrugated, and to feed them to the second air of corrugated rolls so that slippage 0 the sheets relative to each other will take place in a general lateral direction, first towards one side and then towards the other side, substantially as described.

8. In combination in a machine for opening packs of sheet metal, apair of corrugated rolls, a pair of plain faced rolls to receive the corrugated sheets and flatten them, and rolls arranged at a different level from the said plain faced rolls to receive the pack therefrom, and to bend the sheets after being corrugated and flattened to thus cause lengthwise slippage of said sheets relative to each other after having been subjected to slippage in a general lateral direction by the corrugating and flattening actions, substantially as described.

9. In combination in a metal sheet pack opening machine, a plurality of pairs of corrugated rolls, with the corrugations of one pair differently disposed in relation to the corrugations of the other pair, plain faced rolls between the pairs of corrugated rolls, a pair of plain faced rolls in rear of the last pair of corrugated rolls, a pair of elevated rolls composed of an upper roll of large diameter and an underroll of small diameter, a pair of rolls intermediate said elevated rolls and the pair of plain faced rolls, and on a level with the latter, said intermediate rolls being composed of a lower roll of large diameter and an upper roll of smaller diameter, a second pair of rolls similar to the intermediate rolls, and located at the same level therewith, and in rear of the elevated rolls, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM J. STOOP. 

